News from the New York State and Local Retirement System

Monthly Archives: July 2018

After months of planning and preparation, you’re ready to apply for retirement. To get your NYSLRS pension benefit, you need to send in an application. Let’s look at what you should include with the form to help make the retirement process go more smoothly.

Know your past employment. To help ensure you receive the proper credit for your public service, please list your public employment history. Include any military service and memberships in other New York public retirement systems.

Include your beneficiary’s information. You won’t make an official beneficiary designation with this form, but including these details will help us give you specific amounts for the pension payment options that offer a lifetime benefit for a beneficiary.

See a notary. The form must be filled out completely and signed by a notary public.

Proof of Birth

Make sure we have proof of your birth date. You can send it with your retirement application or before or after, but we cannot pay pension benefits without it. We accept photocopies of the following as proof:

Other Forms

Option Election

You’ll need to choose your pension payment option, or how you want your pension paid. Option election forms are available on our website, but we will also send you a form after we process your application. If you choose an option that provides your beneficiary a lifetime pension benefit when you die, you must provide proof of your beneficiary’s birth date.

Federal Income Tax Withholding

Your NYSLRS pension isn’t subject to New York State income tax, but it is subject to federal tax. You can fill out a W-4P form any time to tell us how much to withhold from your monthly benefit. We don’t withhold income tax for other states. Visit the Retired Public Employees Association’s website to see whether your benefit will be taxed in another state.

Direct Deposit

Direct deposit is the fastest and most secure way to receive your pension benefits. You can enroll in our direct deposit program when you file for retirement. Just fill out a Direct Deposit Enrollment Application (RS6370), and return it to us.

Domestic Relations Order

If an ex-spouse is entitled to part of your pension, you should send us a copy of your domestic relations order (DRO) as soon as possible. The DRO gives us specific instructions on how to divide your benefits. We cannot finalize your pension until we review it and calculate the court-mandated distribution of your benefit. For more detailed information, please read our Guide to Domestic Relations Orders.

As you plan for your retirement, you may be forgetting one important thing – health care.

NYSLRS does not provide health care coverage for its retirees, and we’re not the experts on this subject. But we do offer advice to members about retirement planning, and how you’ll pay for health care coverage and out-of-pocket medical expenses should be an important consideration as you approach retirement.

Know the Health Care Cost Facts

Medicare premiums, deductibles, co-payments and prescription drug costs all add up. And those expenditures are likely to rise because health costs have been increasing faster than the rate of inflation and people spend more on medical expenses as they age.

Recent reports indicate a typical 65-year-old retiring in 2018 would spend well over $100,000 to cover medical costs over the course of retirement. What’s more, most NYSLRS members can retire as early as 55. That means you may spend a longer time in retirement than the average retiree, and you may not be eligible for Medicare for years.

What You Can DoTo Prepare

Before you can budget for retirement medical costs, you’ll need to do your homework. Start by talking to your employer about the health care options available to you after your retire and get an estimate of how much you will need to pay. You should also familiarize yourself with Medicare’s options, benefits and costs.

Once you get an idea of what your monthly health care might be, you can start planning how to pay for it. You may have to increase your retirement savings. If you’re a state employee, or a municipal employee covered by the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP), you may be able to get credit for unused sick leave that can reduce your NYSHIP premium. This program is managed by the New York State Department of Civil Service, not NYSLRS. Their Planning for Retirement booklet provides some good information.

If you served in the U.S. Armed Forces, you may be eligible to buy back up to three years of active service credit. Because service credit is a factor in calculating a NYSLRS pension, in most cases buying military service credit will increase your pension.

To be eligible, veterans must:

Have been honorably discharged;

Have at least five years of credited service in the Retirement System;

Have not received credit for this service in any other public retirement system in New York State; and

Apply for and purchase military service credit before they retire.

How to Apply for Military Service Credit

To apply and request a cost for military service credit:

1. Fax your name, contact information and a copy of your DD-214 to 518-486-6405 or 518-402-7799;

or

2. Mail a letter with your name and contact information, and a photocopy of your DD-214, to: Military Service Unit 110 State Street Albany, NY 12244-0001

If after reviewing your application we determine you are eligible, we will send you a letter that will tell you how much credit you are eligible to purchase and the cost. Most members in Tier 1, 2, 3 or 4 can use our online benefit projection calculator to see how the credit would impact your pension. Tier 5 and 6 members can get that information by calling 1-866-805-0990, or using our secure email form (www.emailNYSLRS.com).